The Edge of the World
by BlytheConner1
Summary: JJ is having nightmares about her sister's suicide and worries that it may be a warning. Everyone is dealing with something and JJ's worries are taking her over. This story was inspired by the song Self Conclusion by The Spill Canvas. It's a beautiful song. Includes all core characters and will eventually be JJ/Emily. Rated T for now, may change later.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place in the weeks after Zugzwang, but will not be canon with the rest of the current season. Emily never went to London, so Blake never took her place. I do not own Criminal Minds or any of these characters. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

Jennifer Jareau tossed and turned, hoping to get at least a few minutes of rest before her alarm clock rang out an end to yet another sleepless night. Her eyes finally began to close, but she was jolted awake by the sound of her alarm and she sighed heavily. JJ rolled over to where her husband, Will LaMontagne, usually slept, and wasn't surprised to find he wasn't there. This was not the first night lately that Will had opted to sleep downstairs on the couch instead of in bed with his restless wife. JJ felt bad, knowing her nightmares and constant worry were taking a toll on her marriage. She only hoped that her young son, Henry, wasn't being affected as well.

JJ pushed all thoughts away as she dragged herself out of bed, heading for a quick shower. As the hot water poured over her, she allowed her fears and worries to come rushing back. It was as if she had finally let herself be happy, marrying Will and convincing her best friend not to go to London. Both of her families had been faced with threats to break up and she had managed to save them both.

Now, months later, she couldn't stop thinking that she had made a mistake. What if Will hadn't wanted to marry her anymore and did it only for Henry? What if Emily resented her for convincing her to pass up on such a big opportunity? All of this was enough to make her feel crazy with worry without the added horror of the nightmares.

It had been a few years since she last had the nightmares about her sister's suicide, not since the choking game case when she had finally shared her pain with Hotch. They hadn't been working any cases involving suicide lately and she hadn't spoken to anyone else about it since that day on the jet. It didn't make sense that the nightmares were back now and JJ was beginning to feel like they were a warning.

Most of her thoughts were focused on Spence, considering the rough time he was having since Maeve's death. She wished there was something more she could do for him, but things just hadn't been the same between them since she had helped Emily fake her death and kept it from him. He had forgiven them both, but they definitely weren't as close as they used to be. Spencer really didn't want to talk to anyone about Maeve and JJ feared that his holding it in would drive him crazy, or worse…

"JJ!" Will yelled through the door. "What are you doin' in there? You're gonna be late!"

JJ sighed, frustrated that she'd let time get away from her. "I'll be out in a minute," she called back, turning off the shower.

"Henry and I are leavin'," Will's voice sounded distant. "We'll see you tonight."

JJ wrapped a towel around herself and opened the bathroom door. The sight of her little boy instantly made her smile. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Have a fun day with Daddy, baby. I love you," she almost whispered to her son.

She stood to kiss Will and he moved slightly so that her lips landed on his jaw.

"Well, I'll see you later," she told him, brushing off his actions. "Love you."

"You too, JJ," Will said hesitantly, turning away. "Come on, Henry."

JJ watched them go, her husband and her baby boy. Dread filled her heart and tears filled her eyes as she realized things probably wouldn't be this way for much longer.

**A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for your comments :) And yes, this story will be pretty angsty. You'll see a side of JJ that is very rarely portrayed on TV. Also, I hope you guys can see that I'm not trying to make Will into a bad guy, he is just frustrated with JJ and doesn't know what to do to help her snap out of it, which takes a huge toll on their relationship.**

JJ burst into the conference room, knowing she was beyond late for her own briefing. The friendly chatter that had filled the room in her absence stopped abruptly and everyone stared. JJ blushed. It was bad enough to be late, but in her rush she hadn't had time to put on makeup, her hair was still wet, and her clothes were wrinkled.

"Nice of you to join us, Agent Jareau," Hotch said, his voice sounding annoyed.

"I-I'm sorry," JJ stuttered.

"No time for that," Hotch said sternly. "You'll brief us on the plane. Wheels up the second we get there. Go now."

Hotch stalked out of the room and JJ stood in shock. He very rarely showed any anger toward her and it made her feel so small. The others all looked at her in concern, but she left the room quickly. She headed straight for her office, determined not to let anyone see her cry. Garcia was right on her heels.

"Jayje, what's going on?" she demanded to know.

"I just overslept is all," JJ explained.

"Honey, you look awful," Garcia was worried.

"Thanks, Garcia," JJ said sadly.

They were interrupted when Emily knocked on the open door and called out to JJ.

"You riding with me, JJ?"

"Yeah, Em, just give me a minute," JJ answered.

Garcia wrapped her tiny friend in a big hug and made her promise to call if she needed anything. JJ met Emily and Derek down in the parking lot, where Derek offered JJ the front passenger seat. He threw his and Emily's go-bags into the back seat of the SUV and turned to JJ.

"Where's your go-bag?" he asked her.

"Um…I forgot," JJ said.

"You forgot a go-bag? We're not going to have time to go by your house," Derek told her. "Hotch is already a little pissed we're behind schedule."

"Borrow anything you need from mine, Jayje," Emily told JJ softly, shooting a look at Derek.

He shrugged his shoulders and climbed into the back seat with the bags and Emily drove them all to the airstrip. Luckily, with Emily driving, they reached the strip just after Hotch. The team boarded the jet silently, still uneasy of Hotch's bad mood and JJ's seemingly vulnerable state. When the jet was in the air, Hotch glanced at JJ for a minute and then decided to do the briefing himself. JJ was taken aback slightly as he stood and grabbed the file off the table.

"Thank you for remembering the file, Agent Jareau," he began.

JJ looked at Emily, who just shrugged.

"So, where we headed Hotch?" Emily asked, in an effort to take the focus off of JJ.

"Pittsburgh," he answered. "There are six young women missing. Two of their bodies were recently found in a park."

He passed around pictures of the women.

"The first body found was Celia Forest, nineteen. She was taken from her boyfriend's apartment. The other girl is Kelly Frost, twenty-three. She was taken from the parking lot of the restaurant where she worked as a waitress. Pittsburgh PD hasn't had time to send me the information on the girls that are still missing. Celia was the first to go missing and that was only three weeks ago. Her body was found last week. This unsub is working fast."

Hotch let the team read the additional information on the first two victims on their own before the jet landed. Within no time, the jet landed in Pittsburgh and the team was heading to the local precinct. JJ felt uneasy being back here. She wasn't in any place to be so close to home.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter :)**

The team gathered into a conference room at the homicide division of Pittsburgh PD. Hotch was speaking with the lead detective on the case in the man's office while the team got situated. Emily noticed how pale JJ was and wondered if she might be getting sick or something. Things were definitely not right with her friend. Before she could say anything, Hotch came into the room to start the briefing.

"We now have all of the information on the four missing girls," he started as he put the victims' pictures up on the board next to Celia's and Kelly's. "Lizzie McCall, seventeen, is a prostitute and was taken from the streets where she lives and works. Beth Fitzgerald, twenty-two, was taken from her college dorm room. Leah Collins, sixteen, went missing from her high school, most likely the girls' locker room, after a soccer game. Julia Matthews is a twenty-one year old single mom who was abducted from the parking lot of her child's daycare. The baby was left in the backseat, unharmed."

"The victims are all young and pretty women, but there are no specific similarities in their physicality that would suggest the unsub having a type," Reid pointed out.

"So you think the abductions were opportunistic?" Emily asked. "The places they were taken from point to them being targeted specifically."

"Emily's right," Rossi agreed. "The unsub knew when Celia's boyfriend stepped out, leaving her in an unlocked apartment alone. Kelly got off work at a different time almost every night, yet the night she was taken she just so happened to get off after all the customers were gone and when no other employee was in the parking lot."

Derek finished for Rossi. "This guy knew how to get into Beth's dorm room undetected while her roommate and most of the girls in her dorm were gone. He knew that Leah would be the last girl to leave the locker room and he knew what time Julia picked her kid up from daycare. The only one who appears to be high-risk is Lizzie."

"He was stalking them," Reid reiterated the obvious.

"We need to get the word out about this guy now. I'm going to get a press conference scheduled. I don't care how you do it, but each one of you will take one of the missing girls. I want to know everything she did and everyone she spoke to the day she went missing. Find out what was routine and what was different, everyone she came into contact with. Rossi, take Lizzie. Reid, take Beth. Prentiss, you've got Leah and Derek, you've got Julia," Hotch said, then hesitated for a second before, "JJ, you go with Emily."

Everyone got up to go do their separate interviews.

"Let's find this guy!" Hotch called out after them. "We don't need any more bodies."

Emily and JJ headed for one of the government-issue black SUVs. Emily noticed that JJ looked a little disoriented when she climbed in.

"You okay, Jayje?" she asked.

"I just…forgot to eat," JJ admitted.

"You haven't eaten at all today?" Emily asked in surprise.

JJ shook her head.

"Well, then food is our first stop. Where you wanna go?" Emily questioned.

"Starbucks?" JJ said with a small smile.

"Try again," Emily laughed.

"Anywhere with a salad, I guess," JJ suggested.

Emily gave her friend a look, but stopped at the nearest drive-thru place and ordered JJ a grilled chicken salad. She topped the thing in two entire packets of dressing, put the lid on, shook it up, then handed it to JJ.

"Eat all of it," she demanded.

JJ looked wearily at the salad coated in fattening dressing and said, "Yes, mom."

Emily decided not to take offense to that comment and drove toward the Collins' house. She gave JJ a little while to eat her salad before she started up again.

"Are you okay?" she looked over at JJ in concern.

"Yeah, I'm good now," JJ smiled. "Thanks for the food."

"That's not what I mean and you know it, JJ," Emily said sternly.

JJ pointed out the window. "Look, that's it."

Emily sighed and pulled into the driveway, not fully prepared to speak to the parents of a missing teenager, but pushing her mind back into the game.

**A/N: Let me know what you think of what's happening and what you think should happen!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! Hope you like this chapter :)**

Emily reached the front door first and knocked firmly as JJ walked up beside her. The door opened a crack and a blonde woman peeked her head out.

"Mrs. Collins?" Emily stepped forward. "I'm Agent Prentiss and this is Agent Jareau. We're with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit and we just want to ask you some questions about your daughter, Leah."

The woman opened the door a little wider, looking understandably distraught.

"The police already asked me and my husband questions. Twice," she said.

"Yes, ma'am, ours are just going to be a little different," Emily said calmly. "We're just trying to find out who took your daughter so that we can bring her home."

Mrs. Collins nodded and opened the door all the way, stepping aside to let the agents inside. She led them to the kitchen table, where they sat while she went to get her husband. The couple wearily took seats at the table.

"We told the police everything we know," Mr. Collins grumbled.

"Sir, do you want us to find your daughter or not?" JJ shot.

Emily glared at JJ, silently letting her know to shut up. They couldn't afford to lose the trust of these parents. Emily started her interview.

"So tell me about Leah. What are her hobbies, interests? What does she like to do with her friends or when she's here at home?"

"She's just a normal kid," Mr. Collins said.

"She makes straight A's," Mrs. Collins added. "She's the captain of the soccer team. She's very popular at school, all the other kids love her. She goes to dances and parties, hangs out at the mall. She's a good kid, Agent Prentiss."

"I have no doubt that she is. I do have to ask this," Emily looked at them apologetically. "Was Leah involved in anything she shouldn't have been? Any rough crowds, signs of drug use, secretive behavior? Anything out of the ordinary."

"How could you ask us such a thing?" Mr. Collins snapped.

"No," Mrs. Collins looked at her husband. "She studies hard and practices soccer. She is trying to get a scholarship."

"Mrs. Collins, does Leah have a boyfriend?" Emily asked.

"Not anymore. She was dating Calvin Prestridge, but they broke up a few months ago," Leah's mother explained.

"Do you know why the broke up?" JJ threw in her contribution.

"Calvin was pressuring Leah," Mrs. Collins tried to avoid eye contact with her husband, knowing he'd be angry she hadn't told him this. "To have sex. She didn't want to. He broke up with her and started having sex with one of her best friends."

"Alright, I think that's all we need for now," Emily said. "Does Leah have a diary or a laptop that we could take a look at tonight? We'll have them back to you by tomorrow morning, before we go to her high school."

Mrs. Collins got Leah's laptop and a spiral notebook from her room and gave them to Emily. She also wrote down the name and address of Leah's high school.

"Mrs. Collins, we'll also need the name of the girl who Calvin is seeing now," JJ told the woman before they left.

"Raina Rosman," Leah's mother said.

Emily and JJ headed back to meet their team with the information from Leah's parents. They were the first to get back and they called Garcia to get whatever she could off of Leah's laptop. The two of them took turns reading through the journal and were surprised to see some of it was pretty dark. The Leah they read about in her journal was definitely not the same girl her parents described.

The rest of the team returned and everyone shared their findings. The other three missing girls didn't seem to have varied from their routines at all on the day of their abductions. There were no signs of anything different or strange about their lives and their friends and family hadn't been told if the girls had noticed anyone lurking around. Leah was the only girl who seemed like she was hiding something and everyone was shocked when they saw the video Garcia had recovered from the girl's social networking site. Leah just sat in her bedroom, speaking into her webcam, telling her friends she loved them. She said that things were getting too messy in her life and that she was tired. She ended the video with a simple 'goodbye'.

JJ gasped loudly when the video was over and Hotch looked at her quickly to make sure she was okay.

"We'll talk more about Leah later," he addressed the group. "Let's go deliver the profile."

The team stood in front of a large group of Pittsburgh's finest to let them know what they should look for.

"The unsub we're looking for is a white male between the ages of 18 and 30," Hotch began.

"He is stalking his victims, so he most likely is unemployed or has a job where he does a lot of driving around," Derek added.

"He is physically strong enough to subdue his victims without drawing attention to himself and he will be driving either a van or large SUV to transport the women," Reid said.

"This unsub will have access to some kind of property other than his own home where he keeps the victims. This could be an abandoned house, or barn, or anything outsiders wouldn't stumble upon," said Emily.

"The victims are all young women who have been through something difficult and are happy and confident enough to believe they have overcome. Lizzie McCall is a prostitute, but the people we talked to all say she is a very happy and positive person. This, along with no distinct physical similarities between the victims and the fact that he keeps the women, sexually assaulting and raping them multiple times, leads us to believe that the unsub suffered the loss of his girlfriend. She either broke up with him or passed away. This won't have been a recent loss because he has forgotten exactly what she looked like. He either has memory loss or a mental disability. He remembers that she was very attractive and that she was always happy, which is why he chooses the victims that he does. It's likely that his fading memory of this girl is what has triggered him to start looking for her replacement. He is testing these girls, trying to find one that will act similar to the one he lost. Once they fail his test, he has no use for them," Rossi finished.

It was late and the team headed for their hotel. Emily got settled into her room and then decided to go check on JJ and see if she needed anything. She pulled on sweatpants with her old FBI t-shirt and headed down the hall, double-checking the list of room numbers Hotch had given all of them. She knocked on the door and JJ answered quickly, wearing only a towel.

"I was just about to call you," JJ told her. "I took a shower and totally forgot I didn't have my bag."

Emily laughed and held out her bag for JJ.

"Take anything you need," Emily told her, glad she was always extra prepared.

She took a seat on the queen-sized bed.

"JJ, are you sure you're okay? You've been acting strange lately," she approached the subject, hoping for a good response.

"I'm sorry, Emily," JJ's voice broke.

"Sorry for what?" Emily was surprised at JJ's words.

"For getting you to stay here. London was such an amazing opportunity and I convinced you to turn it down, and for what?" JJ was crying now. "All because I wanted you to say. I can't believe I was so selfish."

"JJ, I don't get why you're apologizing. I wanted to stay. You asking me was just the excuse I needed," Emily explained.

"But you shouldn't be here," JJ whispered through her tears.

"You don't want me here anymore?" Emily teased.

"Of course I do, but there are better things out there for you," JJ pleaded.

"Jayje, I'm here for a lot of reasons. I could never leave this team, leave you. Honestly, London was something I considered because I was afraid. I shouldn't have been," Emily told her. "Believe in that. I'll let you get to bed."

Emily hugged JJ tightly and headed back to her room, still in shock over JJ's strange confession.

**A/N: Please let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it's short, I wanted to post before the weekend and work! Hope you all enjoy this chapter with Reid. Thanks for your reviews!**

JJ pulled a big FBI T-shirt out of Emily's bag to sleep in and pulled it over her head. She headed for the bed, exhausted and praying for a good night's sleep, when there was another knock on the door to her room. Assuming it was Emily coming back for something from her bag, she rushed to open it without looking out first. She was surprised to see Spencer standing in the hall and she tugged at the hem of the T-shirt, embarrassed. Spence waltzed right into her room and took a seat on the bed.

"JJ, are you okay? You've been acting really weird all day," he managed to get out before she could even close the door.

She walked over and sat beside him, pulling the blanket over to cover her bare legs.

"I'm fine, Spence. Just tired," she told him.

"I know that it's more than that," Spencer argued. "You seem to be a little bit of a 'hot mess' as Derek would say."

JJ just shrugged, blushing slightly at Spencer's underlying way of saying she was hot. She couldn't argue the fact that she was a mess, though, so she changed the subject.

"How are you?" she whispered.

"I'm okay, JJ," he said calmly. "I won't pretend it hasn't been really difficult. I doubt I'll ever get over Maeve, but I'm trying to think of it as motivation to do my job better. I completely failed her and I'm not going to let that happen again."

"You didn't fail her, Spence," tears came back to JJ's eyes. "I'm just so sorry I haven't been there for you. Things have just been a little weird between us since Em came back and I know that it's all my fault. I was there to comfort you when you lost her when I should have been telling you the truth. I have no idea what to do or say now, because I can't bring Maeve back for you and I know that's what you need most."

"It isn't your fault," was all Spencer could think to say.

"It is," JJ whispered. "I know it and you know it."

Spencer stood up awkwardly, confused and unaware of how this went from him checking on JJ to a conversation about Maeve and the Emily thing. He had forgiven JJ a long time ago, she had to know that. He put his hand on her shoulder, not knowing what else to do.

"I hope you can get some rest," he said. "Goodnight."

After Spencer left her room, JJ got back into bed and turned out the lamp on the bedside table. She stared up at the ceiling in the darkness, needing sleep, but terrified to see what was coming in her dreams.

It seemed like forever before light faded in through the curtained windows and Emily showed up to get dressed. She didn't hide her worry as JJ came to the door looking like nothing less than a zombie.

"We're going straight from here to do interviews at Leah's high school. You gonna make it?" Emily asked.

JJ nodded, not knowing why Emily would ask her that. Emily got dressed and ready then pulled up the GPS on her phone. She couldn't help but giggle at JJ wearing her clothes, the gray slacks loose around her thighs and way too long and the blue sweater, while it brought out what was left of the color in JJ's eyes, was huge on her. JJ ignored the laugh and looked down at Emily's phone.

"Which high school is it?" JJ asked. "I'll probably know where it is."

"East Allegheny? I think it's outside the city," Emily said, recalling that JJ was from this area. "Sound familiar?"

**A/N: Anyone recognize the name of the high school? Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews! I realize there's some confusion about why Emily is still there. I wrote it as if she never went to London at the end of season 7 because JJ begged her to stay and she realized she couldn't be without her family. **

"Th-that's where I went to high school," JJ stumbled over the words. "Are you sure that's the right one?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Emily answered. "Pretty ironic. You look upset. I thought you had a good high school experience?"

"I did," JJ said slowly. "Just a little too close to home right now."

"I get you," Emily told her. "Are you still okay with going? I can do this solo if you want to stay behind."

"No way," JJ had to prove to everyone she wasn't incapable of doing her job. "I'll be fine. Let's go."

Emily reluctantly let JJ drive them, considering she knew how to get there. She worried about JJ's obvious lack of sleep and her strange mood swings and random apologies. These things were very out of character for strong, confident Jennifer Jareau. Now, driving to her old high school, JJ seemed intensely focused, completely on the other side of the spectrum. Something was definitely up and Emily was determined to find out what it was, but she knew she wouldn't be able to help her friend until she dealt with her own stuff. Ever since she'd come out of hiding to rejoin her team, she'd been strangely emotional. Her old abilities to arrange each part of her life in separate, neat little boxes was seemingly gone. Her pain and confusion over Ian Doyle and his son, Declan, her relationship with her mother, her lack of a love life, her feelings toward her team and her professional profiler attitude were getting all muddled. She had always been sympathetic toward victims, empathetic toward criminals, attached to her friends, and had paranoid thoughts about her Interpol days, but now it was as if all those things had been magnified and it was overwhelming. Emily was shaken from her thoughts when JJ pulled the SUV up to East Allegheny High School and took a deep breath. They entered the school and stopped at the front office, flashing their credentials at the secretary. Emily noticed the recognition on JJ's face when she saw the old woman.

"We're from the FBI, our tech analyst called yesterday with a list of people we need to speak with," Emily told the secretary.

"Jennifer Jareau!" The old lady jumped up and ran around her desk, attacking JJ in a hug. "You haven't changed a bit! I heard you were in the FBI! It's so good to see you! You got married? Any kids yet?"

"Yes ma'am," JJ said, clearly overwhelmed. "I have a son, Henry. He just turned four in November."

"That's wonderful, dear," Emily noticed the woman's face filled with pity suddenly. "And how are you doing? Is your mom okay?"

"We're doing fine ma'am," JJ said quietly. "It was so nice to see you, but if you don't mind, we've got to get these interviews done and get back."

"Of course, Jennifer. The students and teacher from your list are waiting in your old English classroom," the lady smiled again, still laced with pity.

Emily wondered what all that was about as she followed JJ past rows of lockers to the right classroom. JJ took the lead in routinely questioning the five students and one teacher, while Emily paid close attention for any behavior that indicated someone knew more than they were saying. Those were the ones they'd ask to come back to the station. By the end, it was Leah's ex-boyfriend, Calvin, and ex-best friend, Raina, who they asked to come with them. Neither woman was the least bit surprised that these two knew something. Both of the teenagers looked terrified when asked to come in for further questioning. JJ seemed mildly uncomfortable on the drive back, so Emily didn't bother her. They sat and waited for Calvin and Raina to arrive with their parents.

When the kids got there, Emily took Calvin and JJ took Raina.

"I'm going to ask you this one more time and you better not lie to me," Emily snapped at the disrespectful teenage boy. "Did you see Leah after the soccer game the night of her disappearance?"

Calvin cracked his knuckles and looked at the wall behind Emily.

"I suggest you change your answer because everything in your behavior suggests you're about to lie to me," Emily was seriously irritated.

"Okay!" Calvin burst out. "Okay. I did see Leah. But I didn't hurt her!"

"Tell me what happened, Calvin," Emily calmed her voice now that he was cooperating.

"She showed up at my door at like nine. I guess she walked to my house after the game. She was acting really weird, like she was drunk or something. She told me I ruined her life and that I'd be sorry. I offered to drive her home, but she was hysterical. She just took off. I never meant to hurt Leah, she's the one who broke up with me," Calvin was almost hysterical himself telling the story.

"Why didn't you tell the police what happened when you knew Leah was missing?" Emily asked.

"I was too nervous. I thought they would think I did something to her," he whispered.

"Leah's parents said you broke up with her because she wouldn't sleep with you. You're saying she broke up with you?" Emily was confused.

"We did sleep together," Calvin sighed. "That's when she freaked out and broke up with me. She started acting really weird, talking about how she wanted to die and cutting herself. I thought she just wanted attention. She was so sure I'd break up with her after we had sex that she broke up with me before I had the chance. I love Leah, I never would have done that."

"And you have no idea where she was going?" Emily asked softly, now feeling sorry for this kid.

"No, I don't. I wish I did," Calvin said with tears in his eyes.

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

JJ tried a much different approach with Raina.

"Raina, believe it or not, it wasn't that long ago that I went to East Allegheny and I was exactly where you are. Popular girl, soccer star, wanting to date the bad boy. When you get a bunch of girls like that together, there's bound to be drama. Now, I don't think you have anything to do with Leah going missing, but I do think you know something you aren't telling us. Even if you and Leah hate each other right now, you were best friends once and I know that's got to mean something to you. Did you see Leah that night after the soccer game?"

"I can't get in trouble," Raina whispered. "I'll lose everything."

"Why would you get in trouble if you didn't do anything wrong?" JJ asked.

"I-I don't know," tears streamed down the young girl's face.

"Tell me what happened, honey," JJ said softly.

"Leah came over to my apartment that night. I'm emancipated so I live on my own. She said she had just seen Calvin and that it wasn't worth it anymore to keep fighting. I agreed because I really missed her and she was always more important to me than him! I wouldn't even be around him when they first broke up, but Leah kept pushing me away, saying I should be with him. I finally just got mad and went for it," Raina was crying hard now. "She told me she was sorry and that she loved me and she got this strange look in her eyes and I could swear she was acting like we'd never see each other again. It was so weird; I'd never seen her like that. She went to my bathroom and she was gone for a long time, so I went to check on her..."

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

Emily came out of her interview room just as JJ was exiting the other one.

"Calvin did see Leah that night. I'm almost certain she's borderline personality," Emily told JJ quietly.

"You're right, Em," JJ whispered back. "I know where she is."

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Let me know** **what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Sorry it's been so long! Hope you guys like this chapter. **

After explaining the situation to Hotch, Emily and JJ followed Raina to her apartment. Raina had explained to JJ how she found Leah in the bathroom after she'd taken however many antidepressants were in her prescription bottle. Thinking fast, Raina had forced a toothbrush down Leah's throat to gag her until she threw up. Leah had freaked out, begging Raina not to tell anyone what she'd done. They planned for Leah to stay for a few days to get herself back to normal and then she'd go home and apologize to her parents, claiming she just wanted to go off and do something crazy like a road trip with friends. Emily didn't see how it would have worked, but JJ explained to her that it was actually a pretty common thing for these type-A athletes to do something completely irrational to blow off steam.

When they reached Raina's apartment, they quietly followed her inside. She pointed them to the room, but stayed out of the way. Emily opened the bedroom door slowly, not sure what to expect. The young blonde girl was asleep, wrapped up in heavy blankets on the bed. She looked so fragile. One arm was draped across a pillow and thick white gauze was wrapped around the tiny wrist. Emily was unsure what to do and glanced to JJ for help. JJ approached the bed slowly and knelt on the ground beside the sleeping girl.

"Leah," JJ said softly, grasping the girl's hand into her own.

Dull eyes flickered open and panic streaked across them. JJ sensed it immediately.

"Leah, it's okay. We're here to help you. My name is Jennifer and this is my friend Emily. We work for the FBI," JJ explained.

"You told the FBI!?" Leah screamed at Raina, who stood nervously in the doorway.

"Your parents are worried about you, Leah," Emily said. "They think that you're dead."

"I wish I was," Leah grumbled and closed her eyes tightly.

"Leah, listen to me," JJ pleaded. "I know that things are bad right now. I know what it's like to feel that things will always be this way and that you'll never feel good again, but this is such a small part of your life. You have so much more ahead of you and you have got to be alive to see it. You've got to stay long enough to see how good life can get. You have college ahead of you and much better friends and tons of guys who will want to date you. People love you and care about you, Leah, and I know that scares you, but it doesn't have to. You don't have to live this way."

"There's something wrong with me," Leah whispered. "I think I'm crazy."

"You're not crazy," Emily spoke up. "You just think differently than most people. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. We can get you help to deal with it. We all need help with something."

Leah sat up, a little life coming back to her eyes. She put her hair up and got off of the bed, standing to reveal a baggy T-shirt and sweat pants. Raina pushed past Emily and embraced her friend, tears running down her face.

"Let's do this," Leah's voice was shaky. "Before I lose my mind again."

JJ knew that calling Leah's parents should have been the first thing she did, but she didn't want to jolt anything in Leah's mind with that much pressure. She had Emily drive them to the nearest hospital.

They got Leah situated and made sure a psych consult was set up before JJ finally called her parents and asked them to come to the hospital. They were overjoyed to hear that Leah was alive and JJ let them have the moment before she talked to them about how serious things were.

JJ met the parents outside the door to Leah's hospital room. They begged to see their daughter, but JJ knew she needed to prepare them first. She started from the beginning, telling them how Leah had lied about some things concerning Calvin and Raina, but the details were Leah's to tell. She did tell them about Leah going to see them both on the night she disappeared, her suicide attempt, and her making Raina promise not to tell anyone what happened.

"So she's just been hiding from us this whole time?" Leah's mother asked through her tears.

"What are you trying to cover up?" Leah's father demanded.

"I assure you that I'm telling the truth. You'll be able to talk with Leah about it yourselves, I just wanted to prepare you because she's in a really fragile state. I've done a lot of research on teen suicide and it's crucial that you don't approach Leah in anger, sadness, or frustration," JJ said calmly. "She needs to know that while her thoughts are valid, the way she is thinking isn't right. She needs to know that she can be treated and that things can get better, even if they aren't okay right now."

"What kind of treatment are you talking about?" Mrs. Collins asked softly.

"Leah is currently undergoing a psych evaluation," Emily jumped in from behind JJ. "We haven't heard back from the doctor yet, but it seems that Leah has borderline personality disorder. The doctor may recommend a residential treatment facility or he may just want to treat her with medication and counseling. He will know better what is best for Leah at this time."

The psychiatrist came up behind them then, asking to speak to Leah's parents alone. JJ and Emily headed to say goodbye to Leah before they had to get back to the case with the others.


End file.
